Etymology Map
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Semolina

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means coarse grains of durum wheat used for pasta and puddings

Where does the word "semolina" come from? It comes from Latin simila, passing through Italian before entering English (1790s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
simila
Latin · ancient
"fine flour"
the finest wheat flour
2
Stage 2 of 3
semolino
Italian · 1500s
"semolina"
a diminutive of 'semola', bran
3
Stage 3 of 3
semolina
English · 1790s
"wheat grains"
became a staple of British school puddings
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Read the full story

Semolina’s story begins in Latin: simila meant “fine flour.” The finest wheat flour. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Italian as semolino. A diminutive of 'semola', bran. It reached English by 1790s as semolina. Became a staple of British school puddings. Today, semolina means coarse grains of durum wheat used for pasta and puddings.